Lead book review
David Jones – the 20th century’s great neglected genius
When Stravinsky visited David Jones in his cold Harrow bedsit, he came away saying, ‘I have been in the presence…
How Lenin manipulated the Russian Revolution to his own ends
With the old order rotten to the core, Russia was more than ripe for revolution in 1917. But Lenin thought the revolution was all about him, says Roland Elliott Brown
Who — or what — is the African, the Stranger and the One-eyed Sphinx?
Since childhood, Caroline Moore has been captivated by the fragile, silky, shimmering beauty of moths — and by their enchanting names
How Jane Carlyle survived a miserable marriage
Jane Carlyle found comfort in her miserable marriage by ‘splashing off’ whatever was on her mind in letters to friends – which became famous in her own lifetime, says Frances Wilson
Could the Rorschach tests spot a Nazi?
There may be something in the Rorschach tests, says Philip Hensher, but can it really be measured?
The long tragedy of Europe's borderland
The border between Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey has long been a flashpoint. Now, more than ever, says Simon Kuper, it’s a hazardous transit realm for the homeless
The importance of being frivolous
Sam Leith is delighted by the idea that having fun is the key to human progress
Cheating death by time travel
The concept of time travel is surprisingly recent, says Jenny Colgan. Before H.G. Wells, it barely existed
Eating people is rare (and very unhealthy)
The subject has been popularised from Homer to the Brothers Grimm, but, mercifully, human cannibalism has always been rare, says Philip Hensher
A singular horror
How did the Holocaust happen? What lessons can be learned from it? Philippe Sands wonders whether anything similar could happen again
Why is the world crumbling in anger and terror?
America’s global hegemony from 1944 onwards has led to a world now riven by hatred and terror, says Jonathan Steinberg
The Harvard housewives who measured the heavens
Marek Kukula tells how, in the late 19th century, Harvard Observatory began to rely on a number of women – ranging from graduates to housemaids – to analyse an explosion of scientific data
Women writers who deserve to be forgotten
When resurrecting forgotten writers of the past, make sure they’re not neglected for good reason, says Philip Hensher
Günter Grass: from enfant terrible to Grand Old Man
Günter Grass was a mischief-maker, who set out to eclipse his equally brilliant fellow writers, says Rachel Seiffert. But his early novels – The Tin Drum, especially – fully deserved the limelight
Why are astronomers so desperate to believe in aliens?
Why are astronomers so keen to believe in extraterrestrial life? Is it just a story they want to hear, wonders Tom Holland
The great intellectual bromance of the last century — between Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky
Two brilliant psychologists in the 1970s changed our understanding about the way we think and the choices we make – with momentous consequences, says Steven Poole
The map-maker’s task may never be done
The map-maker’s task may never be done, says Alex Burghart. Seven new islands have appeared in the past decade alone
A further selection of the best and most overrated books of 2016, chosen by some of our regular reviewers
A further selection of the best and most overrated books of 2016, chosen by some of our regular contributors
The best and worst books of 2016, chosen by some of our regular contributors
A selection of the best and most overrated books of 2016, chosen by some of our regular contributors
Zadie Smith’s latest dance to the music of time
Zadie Smith explores themes of identity, freedom, rhythm and time with much skill and grace, says Ruth Scurr
Fierce indignation
Dean Swift’s biting satire is as necessary today as it was 300 years ago, according to Daniel Swift (no relation)
Flaubert — the writer’s writer par excellence — is a real challenge to write about
If only Flaubert had spent less time writing — and sitting in his summerhouse fuming at man’s stupidity — his life wouldn’t seem such a trudge, says Graham Robb
Alan Bennett: one of the sharpest, funniest writers in the English language
Robert Douglas-Fairhurst reveals that, far from being a cuddly, mild-mannered teddy bear, our national treasure has sharp claws — and a gimlet eye
Angela Carter: a seminal novelist who changed writing and the world
Philip Hensher celebrates the breathtaking imagination — and dottiness — of the seminal writer Angela Carter and deeply mourns her early death
Dashing for the book: A lifetime of letters from Paddy Leigh Fermor
Justin Marozzi says the letters of Patrick Leigh Fermor are a 20th-century treasure-trove and a feast for admirers of the great man
